The adult of this species is not known for certain because no rearings associated with this larval type are available (such specimens may be in the collection of D.J. Forsyth, now with Ian Boothroyd).
Larval Morphology: bathophilus-type larva. Length about 13-15 mm. Head capsule with pale frontoclypeus, slightly dark or dark on posterior region of gula. Ventral tubules from 0.6 - 0.85 mm., anterior pair usually longer. Anal tubules: dorsal pair about twice as long as wide, ventral pair longer with a constriction and about three times as long as wide. Mentum with 4th lateral reduced to about level of 5th laterals (type II); centre trifid tooth with distinct c2 teeth (i.e. Type II). Ventromentum with about 43 - 44 striae. Pecten epipharyngis with about 14 rather uneven teeth. Basal segment of antenna about 3 times as long as wide; 4th segment relatively short, about 30% longer than segment 3. Mandible with 3rd inner tooth darkened and but only slight separation (i.e. type II); about 17 - 19 striae near the base.
Cytology: 4 polytene chromosomes with the pseudothummi arm combination (AE, BF, CD, G). Arm G with a subterminal nucleolus and nearby BR. No nucleolus in long chromosomes. Arm B with unique sequence, with a large puff or BR near the centromere. This may be group 7, but the possibility cannot be excluded that this is homologous to the BR developed in a similar position in species such as the Holarctic C. plumosus, which is not equivalent to band group 7. Polymorphism in arm C.
Arm A1: 1a-e, 11 - 10, 2c - 1f, 3e - 2d, 8 - 9, 3f-i, 12c-a, 4 - 7, 13 - 19 ie. as A4 oppositus and A1 of novae-zelandiae
Arm B1: Bulb (7) close to centromere, dark bands further to distal end.
Arm C1:
Arm C2:
Arm D1:
Arm E1: 1 - 3e, 11 - 10c, 3f - 10b, 12 - 13 simple inversion from nzlE1
Arm F1: 1 - 2a, 10 - 2c, 15c - 11a, 2b, 15d - 23, no nucleolus)
Arm G1: Virtually terminal nucleolus with nearby BR.
Click here to see the polytene chromosomes
Localities:
North Island:
Cambridge, South Auckland (Sofia Ibarraran) 29-viii-2007.
Lake Rotoiti, about 16 Km north east of Rotorua, South Auckland (NZ.19.1) (Jon Martin & D.J. Forsyth) 7-xii-1973.
Initially included with C. novae-zelandiae, but shows consistent differences in the lighter larval dorsal head colour, some unique banding patterns and the lack of a nucleolus in arm F. The existence of this species was first indicated by the barcoding analyses of Sofia Ibarraran.